Get Away
by egrant94
Summary: Nothing is ever as easy as it seems.
1. Chapter 1

"_Cabin Crew, please take your seats. We're ready for our decent into Heathrow Airport."_ The flight attendant's voice spoke loud and clear through the speakers overhead. I tried my best to repress the urge I had to squeal in excitement as I shoved my headphones and iPod into my carry-on bag that was tucked neatly underneath my seat.

I ignored the confused look I got from the person sitting beside me and just sat back with my eyes closed. In less than an hour I would be in a taxi and on my way to my new university campus. I thumbed the half heart necklace that was wrapped around my neck and sighed. It was cold as ice now that there was a whole ocean between London and the United States.

A half hour later I was waiting around the baggage carousel with almost everyone that had been on my flight. I noticed that most people had black bags and I made a mental note to buy new suitcases before I went on another plane. Luckily I put a key chain with a golden 'C' on one of the zippers, so it was easier to find than it would have been otherwise. I chuckled quietly to myself when I heard some people around me let our groans and exclamations of anger when they saw that I had my bag before them.

Hailing a taxi turned out to be the easiest part of my day. I reminded myself that I wasn't in Mystic Falls anymore. London had way for than five cabs all owned by one family that sometimes didn't feel like driving anywhere. I gave the address that was in my admissions letter and sat in the back seat, again fiddling with my necklace, as I watched the cobblestone streets go by in a blur.

I could tell we were getting closer to campus because the hordes of people started carrying boxes and bags down the sidewalk. There were families hugging and cars filled with boxes littering the sidewalk and roads. I paid the cabbie and thanked him for helping with my bag. I didn't bring much with me, but my mom was going to send a couple of boxes over later in the week.

"Hi, welcome to the University of Oxford!" There was a group of people all wearing matching shirts standing near a gate. It took me a moment to see that the person that spoke to me was a small brunette. She only looked to be about five feet tall, but she obviously made up the inches in personality. "I'm Sarah Wilson, what's your name?"

"Caroline Forbes," I smiled brightly at her sunny disposition and hoped she was really as nice as she seemed. "Could you possibly show me where," I looked down at the papers in my hand. "Woodrow House is located?"

"Woodrow house?" she jumped up and down a couple of times and grabbed my wrist. I scrunched up my forehead in confusion when she started pulling me down the street and to the left of the gate she had been standing near before. "I knew I recognized you from somewhere. We live in the same house! Well, us and four other girls. They should all be there now. I knew that you would be the last one here since you are all the way from America. Tammy—you'll meet her in a few minutes—is from America too, but she moved her with her parents five years ago."

I tried to memorize the path we were taking down the street as we walked, so I wouldn't get lost later. I noticed a few guys that were trying to get a couch over a few steps on their porch. They were yelling at each other to lift higher but neither was doing their job. We continued walking for another minute or two and finally came to a stop in front of a large, navy blue house. The fixtures were all white and a large wrap around porch was surrounding the first of three levels. The yard was large and perfectly trimmed with a huge oak tree with bright, colourful leaves standing off to the right.

Sarah finally let go of my hand so she could open the door to the house with her key and lead me inside. I was glad that I didn't have to stay in a huge building with a hundred other people. This way I might actually be able to get some sleep—and have better control over my hunger.

There were three girls sitting in what I assumed was the main living area. I thought I was seeing double for a moment before realizing that two of them were identical twin sisters. I smiled at the girls and was happy that they returned the gesture.

"Girls, this is Caroline. Caroline, this is Erin, Charlotte, and Vivienne," Erin and Charlotte were the twins. They both had dark brown hair, darker than Sarah's, but Charlotte had a bright red streak showing from her up-do. Vivienne had shining red hair that was also thrown into an up-do. Her green eyes seemed to glow as she looked over me, nodding in what I hoped was approval. "Caroline will be living with us this year! Isn't that great?"

"Awesome, maybe we can all have dinner tonight? Tammy should be home in a few hours, her boyfriend is still in town," I saw Erin roll her eyes as her sister spoke. "We can get to know each other!"

"I'm going to show Caroline up to her room and help her get settled," Sarah announced. "I'm sure she's tired from her trip."

"I've done that flight before, it is not fun," Vivienne laughed loudly. Sarah and I began walking up the large stair case that looked just like the one I remembered from the Mikaelson manor in Mystic Falls. I was only about five steps up when Vivienne spoke again. "Oh Caroline, some guy came to drop off something for you in your room. I just let him up, I hope that's okay. He said his name was Kol or something."

I raised my eyes brows in surprise. Klaus must have sent him here. I nodded my thanks to Vivienne and continued up the stairs to the third floor. There were three doors, two of which were open. One was a bathroom and the other was a large bedroom with a fireplace and a balcony. I must have seemed confused about the accommodations because Sarah laughed and walked across the room to open the balcony doors. I hadn't realized how hot it was in the room but was thankful for the cool breeze coming in through the doors.

"All of the other girls and I decided to let you have this room for as long as you stay," Sarah explained in the same happy tone she'd been using since I met her earlier. "If you plan to come live here again next year it will still be yours."

"Thanks for everything Sarah," I tossed my carry-on bag onto my queen sized bed and set my larger suitcase on the floor. "I just need to freshen up and make a few phone calls. What time will we be having dinner?"

"Probably not until around six," she began backing out of the room and pointed at the closed door that was across the hall from my bedroom. "That's an extra closet to fill with whatever. You have your own bathroom so you'll probably want to put towels and stuff in there. Okay, I'll stop bothering you, see you soon."

I waited until I was sure she was on the second floor before I shut my door and pulled out my phone. I made a quick call my mom and assured her that I was fine and everything was great. I knew that she was worried about me leaving for school but I eventually calmed her down and assured her that this was the best choice for me to make.

Near the foot of my bed I found a box and on top were a sweater and an envelope. The box was large, and in big red letters, '_open me first_' was written across the side. I chuckled and shook my head. Surely that pert was all Kol's doing. I'd never gotten the chance to officially meet Kol, but I'd heard from Bonnie and Elena that he seemed to be the comedian of the Original family. I decided to disobey his orders and grabbed the envelope first. I sat on the end of my bed and ripped open the top. Two pieces of paper and a photo fell out. The first piece of paper looked like it was the ripped off corner of another—Kol's phone number.

I recognized Klaus' smooth and elegant hand writing on the second piece of paper, and eagerly began reading the letter.

_Caroline,_

_Due to some business I still have to take care of in New Orleans, I could not join you on your first journey to Europe. My brother, Kol is attending Oxford now as well so he will be your strongest asset should anything unforeseen occur. He will be close by and has informed me that he will care for you as though his life is dependent on your safety. Call him when you arrive. Though he can be a little rambunctious at times, I have no doubt that the two of you will get along famously._

_This is a new experience for you, Caroline. I hope that you make the best of your college years. I will be visiting you in a month's time. Remember that I'm only a phone call away if you need anything. I will do whatever I can to help._

_I will see you soon._

_All my love,_

_Nik_

_P.S. Remember graduation._

I put Klaus' letter back in the envelope and decided to stick the piece of paper with Kol's phone number on it, on the cork board above the desk. I looked around my new bedroom and sighed. The walls were so empty and I didn't plan on bringing anything to decorate them. I decided a shopping trip would definitely be in order before classes started next week.

I decided to arrive in England almost a full week early. I knew that jet lag was going to be a bitch and I wanted to get acquainted with the campus and go shopping before classes started. I was glad I had allowed myself so much time because I needed to get some essentials that I had forgotten to bring. Maybe I could get Kol to join me on my shopping trip tomorrow. Klaus said in his letter that we might become friends and I hoped he was right.

_Klaus_

He told me at the end of his letter to remember graduation, but I honestly haven't been able to forget a single moment of what happened between us that night. Every second of that night was burned into my brain and appeared behind my eyes every time they are closed. The words we spoke, no matter how unimportant they seemed in those moments, were now some of the last memories I had of Klaus before he left Mystic Falls. Even though he is still very much a part of my life I still wished he was with me now.

_I couldn't help the loud and heavy sigh that slipped between my lips as I finally had the chance to lie down on my soft bed. Klaus' words from just a few hours ago were still ringing clearly in my ears._

"However long it takes." _He had whispered for just me to hear in the middle of the football field. I didn't reply to his words at the time. All I could do was continued staring into his warm eyes and choke back the sob that threatened to makes its way out of my mouth. _

_I wanted to be ready to go with him in that moment. I wanted to kiss his full lips and wrap my arms around his neck. Tell him that I loved him and never wanted to leave his side. I would follow him to New Orleans and stand with him while he fought off whatever demons were after him this time. _

_But I didn't do anything._

_I fiddled around with the cellphone that was resting across my pajama clad stomach. As soon as I was through my front door I managed to strip out of my dress and shoes before even making it to the stairs. I put on a pair of pajama shorts and matching top, each adorned with rubber ducks. Elena had been buying me pajamas every year for my birthday since we were children. This was one of the pairs she got me last year._

_I didn't even realise what I was doing until the text message was already sent. I watched the screen of my phone as a small check mark appeared to tell me that the message had been sent, opened, and then read. It wasn't even two minutes later when I heard a soft tapping sound on the window my bedroom. The sound—thought I was expecting it—startled me at first. I composed myself quickly, got up from the bed, and made my way over so I could unlock and pull up the window._

"_I have to say, love," Klaus whispered quietly as he made his way through my window. I wondered if he knew my mother wasn't home and he could have just used the front door. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you tonight."_

"_I needed to see you again before you left," I got back onto the bed and put my head down on my pillow. When I patted the spot beside me, hoping he would take the hint and join me on the bed, he barely hesitated. "I was thinking about some of the things you said earlier tonight."_

_He climbed onto the bed and took the spot next to where I was lying. We both lay on our sides, facing each other, but not touching. I could almost picture the wheels in his head turning as he thought over what was said in our earlier conversation._

"_It isn't safe for you in New Orleans yet, Caroline," he wrapped one of his large hands around mine and held it against his chest so my fingers were splayed over his slowly beating heart. "I want you to join me more than anything on this earth, love. However, I will not have you put in harm's way for my sake."_

"_You can keep me safe. You always manage," I ran the tips of my fingers over the chains around his neck. I noticed a new addition, a silver chain that contained half a heart and the letter 'C' carved into one side in red. "We can finally be together, away from here and away from all of the drama that comes with being in Mystic Falls."_

"_What made you change your mind?" he changed positions slightly so that his head was resting on his hand and his elbow was pressed into the pillow. "You wanted Tyler back just hours ago and now I'm here in your bed and you're asking me to take you away from your home."_

_I didn't know what to say in response. Should I just tell him the truth? That I've been thinking about this for a long time? That I wanted to follow him weeks ago when I first heard he was gone? I wasn't sure how to reply so I said the first thing that came to mind:_

"_I've been hiding my feelings for a long time—even from myself. I've been lying to myself. I've tried convincing myself that I wanted Tyler back so we could be together and in love again the way we were before you sent him away. When you left I realised that the only reason I wanted Tyler back was because it was easier to be with him and continue trying to convince myself that I was in love. Being alone with you and trying not to be in love with you and convince myself that I was just feeling lonely, has been one of the hardest things I've ever done."_

"_I can't protect you from the things in Louisiana, love. If they find out who you are, how important you are to me, they will stop at nothing to take you away. I need time to fix everything."_

_I groaned and fell onto my back. I let go of my grip on his chains and looked up at the ceiling. I could feel the frustration I usually felt towards the world building up and making its way to the surface. I closed my eyes and tried to even out my breathing. The bed beside me shifted in weight as Klaus moved around. When I opened my eyes again a couple minutes later, I was met with his smiling ones. He hovered over me, stroking my cheek softly. His lips were only an inch away from mine._

"_I'm going to fix things in New Orleans," he moved his hand down to my chin and smiled softly. "When I'm finished I'm going to come find you and we will finally be together. In the meantime, I have something for you to wear." He pulled away unexpectedly and sat up on his knees. I sat up with him but my face was only at his chest. _

_He dug around in his pocket and finally produced a chain that was almost identical to the new addition I noticed he was wearing. The only difference being that instead of the 'C' that was on his, this one had a 'K' carved in the same shade of red. It was the other half of his heart._

"_It is like your new one," I said dumbly as I moved my hair so he could fasten the necklace around my neck. I noticed the instant heat radiating from the half heart and wondered what cause the sensation. "Why is it so warm?"_

"_I had some witches make these," he explained, lifting his up so the hearts matched up perfectly. "The letters are carved in using the blood of the people who wear the chains. The temperature changes according to how close the two individuals are in distance. We are right next to each other so they are at their warmest. Once we are separated they will cool down more and more with each mile put between."_

"_How did you get my blood?" _

"_You don't need to know that, sweetheart. Just know that you're protected. If one of us is in danger the other's necklace will get burning hot."_

"_So you'll always know what to come running?"_

"_This is so I can protect you with everything I have to give. If something happens to me, you can call one of my siblings."_

_We both laughed at him comment and fell into an easy silence. We lay back down facing each other. My legs became tangled in his as we got closer together. Our lips hovered impossibly close without touching. I knew that he would be gone as soon as I fell asleep. My mom would be home in the morning and even though she couldn't kill him, she could still shoot him with vervain laced bullets._

"_I love you, Nik." I whispered just before our lips touched._

_A couple of hours later I was resting against his chest. We hadn't gone any further than simply kissing, but I felt closer to him now than I ever had felt to anyone else. His fingers ran up and down my arm as we laid in silence. I could feel myself falling deeper into sleep every moment. It took everything in me to stay awake long enough to hear him whisper the words I had yet to hear despite my knowledge of his feelings._

"_I love you too, Caroline."_

I wiped the tears that were suddenly falling onto my cheeks and decided to see what was in the box before I made anymore phone calls. I remembered the picture on my lap and smiled when I saw that it was a photo of Klaus and Elijah. They were both wearing University of Oxford sweaters, but it looked like this was taken a few decades ago. That must have been where the sweater is from as well. Klaus gave me his old sweater from when he attended Oxford with his brother. I grabbed the sweater from on top of the box and held it up to my face.

Inside the box was a new mini fridge. I laughed more loudly than I had intended to at the joke. I wasn't being serious after graduation when I told him I needed one, but noticed that there was a lock and key that came in the box. This would be perfect for storing blood bags, no doubt that this was his intention.

"Caroline, dinner is here!" Erin's voice shouted up the stairs. I could tell she was yelling from the second floors even though I would have been able to hear her whisper from across the street. "I hope pizza is okay!"

I opened the door and waited until I was a couple feet away from her before answering.

"Pizza sounds great."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I just wanted to take a quick second to thank everyone who read my last chapter and send an extra big thank you to those of you who also reviewed! I was surprised with the overwhelming support I've already received.**

**This chapter is shorter than the last one, but the next one will be longer. Anyone who reviewed knows that I planned on getting this out a lot sooner than today, so I thought a short chapter was better than none at all.**

**Thanks for reading and I hope you take just a moment to review; even if you simply put 'awesome'. **

"I'll get it!" I offered loudly as I made my way from the kitchen and towards the foyer to answer the door. The other girls groaned in unison from the other room and I couldn't help my laugh; we all regretted drinking that much last night. We stayed up almost all night just talking, drinking, and eating more pizza than anyone should in a single sitting. I had a feeling when I got up this morning that I wasn't going to be the only one suffering from a hangover. Luckily mine would be gone soon; everyone else's might last all day.

"Stop shouting so bloody loud!" Tammy shouted down the stairs from her bedroom. She was the only one of the girls who had yet to make it down to the kitchen for breakfast. I could hear her moving around and getting dressed up stairs even though the rest of us were still in our pajamas.

"Sorry, I forgot!" I laughed again and continued towards the front door. I couldn't hide the surprise on my face when I saw Kol standing on the porch with a bright smile. "What are you doing here so early?"

I texted Kol late last night so we could make plans for this afternoon. I wasn't expecting him until later though since we were planning on meeting up around lunch. Instead, he was standing at my door at eight in the morning with a bright and happy smile adorning his face. I was still wearing a pair of sleep shorts and the sweater that Klaus gave me, from last night.

"When we were talking last night you said that we were going to spend the day together," he stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Why aren't you dressed yet?"

"Ugh, come in," I opened the door wider and glared at him as he made his way inside the house. "I'll introduce you to the girls and then I'll go get dressed."

I led him into the kitchen and noticed that all the girls had stopped eating and were staring at Kol and me from their seats. I wasn't sure if Kol even liked pancakes, but I got him a plate and put a couple on it for him anyway. The girls kept watching while I handed him his food and pointed at my now empty seat. My breakfast was only half gone but I didn't feel hungry anymore.

"Girls, this is Kol," I began. "Kol, this is Erin, Charlotte, Sarah, and Vivienne."

"It is a pleasure to meet you ladies," he took each of their hands and kissed their knuckles. "I'm Caroline's future brother in-law."

"Caroline, we didn't know you were getting married!" Erin squealed. I shook my head and didn't say anything in reply. I'd just explain it all to them later. For now, I started making my way up the stairs to get dressed.

I passed Tammy on my way up and gave her a small smile. She groaned and held her head as she tried to smile back at me and shield her eyes from the sun that was shining outside. I chuckled quietly and continued up the stairs until I was in my own bedroom. I dug around in my unpacked suitcase until I found a pair of jeans and a white tee shirt. It was already getting cold in London considering it was still only the last week of August. I heard a familiar ringtone coming from the cellphone on my night stand, and put the clothes I was planning to wear back down in order to answer.

"How is your handover, love?" Klaus asked as soon as he heard me answer. I couldn't remember much of our phone conversation from last night, but I had a feeling that I called him way later than I should.

"My hangover would probably be a lot better if your brother didn't _just_ show up at my door to go out already." I walked back over to the end of my bed and picked up the clothes that had been discarded on the floor. "He just introduced himself to my roommates as 'my future brother in-law'."

"That sounds like Kol," he laughed in a soft voice that I knew was only meant for my ears to hear. "I can tell him to calm down and back off a little if you'd like. It would be no problem to call him and tell him to mess off."

"No, you don't have to do that. He's just trying to be a good friend or brother in-law. I wouldn't want him punished just for being himself."

"Well those moments seem to be few and far between. Try not to get too used to them."

"Caroline, hurry that lovely behind of yours!" Kol's voice shouted from the very bottom of the steps. I could heart Klaus chuckling at his brother when he heard his words. I smiled at the sound of my roommates laughing at him and was glad he was making a good impression. Apparently he was already planning on being around a lot.

"How is New Orleans? Do you miss me yet?" I pulsed on my skinny jeans and did up the button and zipper. I had to pull the phone away from my ear to switch the sweater out for the shirt I picked out, but I managed before Klaus even began to answer.

"I have begun missing you more than I thought possibly. New Orleans is my favourite city in the world, but it is nothing compared to being anywhere in the world with you. I must say that being without you makes me miss Mystic Falls. The drama seems to follow me everywhere."

"What do you mean about the drama?"

He was quiet for a few moments and I heard someone talking to him through the phone. I still had a big smile on my face from what he said before and couldn't seem to wipe if off. When he spoke again, his voice was much more sullen and I knew he had to go take care of stuff again. I knew some of the broader details of the events that have taken place during the summer, but I wasn't sure of the finer points.

"I'm sorry, love, but Elijah needs me for something," he sounded annoyed and slightly angry at the idea. "I'll talk to you later tonight."

"Of course, just wish me luck with your brother and hope that I don't kill him before you get the chance." The moment the words were out of my mouth I could hear Kol shouting up the stairs at me again.

"I heard that!"

"Caroline," Klaus almost murmured through the phone. "I _do _intend to ask you to marry you someday, sweet heart."

"Well, I intend to say 'yes'."


	3. Chapter 3

_Flashback (day after graduation):_

_I woke up early in the morning with the bright sun shining in my face and the feeling of Klaus moving around next to me in my small, twin sized bed. His strong arms were still wrapped tightly around my thin waist; tight enough that they would hurt any human. My head rested on his chest as we slept through the night, but his movements had shifted our position enough for me to notice. I blinked the sleep from my eyes and looked up to see him sleeping peacefully. Shaking my head, I slowly and carefully removed myself from his embrace. The hunger I felt—and ignored—when I got home last night was finally starting to take over._

_I walked down the creaky staircase, down the hallway, and into the kitchen as quietly as I could manage. After a quick glance through the front windows in the living room, I was able to see that there was no police cruiser in the driveway; my mother was still working. I hadn't considered her reaction to finding _the _Original Hybrid in her only daughter's bed—vampire or not._

_Once I was sure my mother wasn't home, I worked on finding us something to eat—and drinking—as quickly as possible. Knowing that Klaus was sleeping only a few feet away upstairs gave me enough of a reason to rush through something that would have normally taken me twice as long. I made sure to make enough food for both of us, and grabbed two blood bags from the fridge. I was glad that my mom knew about my being a vampire now; it was getting exhausting to have to go all the way to the Salvatore Boarding House every time I needed something to drink._

_I finally arrived back in my bedroom with the tray full of food balanced precariously in my hands, and a couple of blood bags clenched between my human teeth. I set the food down on my nightstand and decided that I shouldn't be the only one who's awake. The Hybrid had moved in the couple of minutes it had taken me to get breakfast. He was now in the middle of the bed, taking up the whole thing for himself. I giggled at the load groan he let out when he felt the power on my jump onto the bed. I swung one of my legs over his hips and straddled his waist in an effort to wake him up further._

"_I must say, love, that this is one of the best ways I've ever been woken up," he said hoarsely as he brought his hands up to rest on my hips. His eyes were still closed as he spoke. "Why are you awake and out of bed so early?"_

"_I got woken up when a certain Original Hybrid decided to move around on my bed, in his sleep like a crazy person," I stated with a teasing laugh. His hair was dishevelled from sleep, and I couldn't imagine how we ever found him threatening. "I made up breakfast!"_

_His bright blue eyes were open now as he sat up in bed, dragging his body up to lean his back against my headboard. I was still wrapped around his hips as he shifted around and leaned forward to kiss my waiting lips. We both smiled into the kiss, unable to keep the happiness that came with finally being together from our faces. With his help, I was able to grab the tray from the night stand and brought it onto the bed to rest where I was laying only hours before. He scooped up a few blueberries that I put in a small bowl and I grabbed a piece of toast._

"_What time do you have to leave today?" I couldn't help but ask him the question, even though I didn't really want to know the answer. I knew that his departure was going to happen at some point today, but we didn't get the chance to discuss it last night. Swallowing my food, I spoke again, "Can't you just stay here with me forever?"_

"_As much as I would love nothing more than to take you away from here and keep you to myself, I do have to leave soon," He looked thoughtful for a moment as he ate his blueberries and twirled on of my blonde curls around his fingers. "My offer still stands. If you wish to come with me to New Orleans, you are more than welcome."_

"_Honestly, I would love nothing more than to go with you when you leave," I rested my hands of either side of his stubbly face and pressed our foreheads together. "There is so much left here for me still. I can't leave, not yet. I also promised my mom that I would go to college for at least a year. I know that you don't understand that stuff, but she isn't going to be around forever and I want to be able to make her as happy as possible while she is still here._

"_Do you think loving someone like me could ever make her happy?"_

_His words threw me off guard for a second. I wasn't sure how to reply to his question without lying, or hurting his feelings. In truth, falling in love with Klaus was most likely one of the most selfish things that I have ever done. This was one of the few things in my life so far that I've done not only completely for myself, but also against myself. I knew how everyone was going to act when they found out about my true feelings for the hybrid. I had already considered what was going to happen when Tyler came back and realized that too much time has gone past—that I'm not waiting for him anymore. Elena and Bonnie were surely going to freak out and probably stop talking to me altogether. My mother was a wildcard in this scenario. She's surprised me in the past with her reactions to the different changes and aspects of my new life._

"_I really don't know what she will say or how she is going to react when she finds out," I told him honestly. Her opinion could go either way in this case. "I think is going to be worried, but that she will want me to be happy; whether that is with you, or with Tyler, or even with someone else altogether."_

"_I guess we'll find out how she feels and her opinion on it all soon enough," he placed a hand on my cheek and pulled me in for a sweet and gently kiss. "I don't know how I will ever be able to get used to the fact that you could ever love a monster like me the way you claim."_

"_Well you better start getting used to it, honey. Because I love you, and I don't intend on going anywhere—I promise."_

"_I'm going to hold you to that promise, my love."_

**Present Day:**

"Well look who decided to grace me with her presence! I wasn't sure if you were actually going to show up or stay in bed all day again," Kol chuckled when he saw me walking towards the bench he was sitting on near the library. It was the first day of classes and we had to be up bright and early—on a Monday. I had seriously considered staying in my warm, cozy bed, but I figured it wasn't the best way to make a first impression. "I got you a bagel and coffee."

"Thank you, you're a life saver!" I wept happily at the already familiar brown cup from the diner that was down the street from Kol's house. "I didn't have enough time to grab anything before I left the house earlier."

"You don't have to thank me for anything, love," he chuckled at my antics and handed me my food and drink. "I'm still trying to get in your good graces."

"I can honestly say that you may have just bumped yourself up to almost best friend," I gave him a wink and took a sip of my coffee. I set the cup down next to me on the bench so I could take a bite of my bagel with butter. "Nik called to wish us luck this morning. He also sent a warning that Rebekah and Matt are nearby and might drop by in a few days."

"Ah, the dreaded 'almost sister in-law'," he teased with a smirk. I nudged him, making sure to spill some of his own coffee of his grey pea coat. "You haven' seen her since you and my brother declared yourselves, have you?"

"No, I haven't. I was hoping to keep it that way at least until Klaus saw her first. Now I'm going to get the brunt of it all and he gets to stay nice and safe on the other side of the world."

"Now I haven't been around my sister much in the past two hundred or so years—no thanks to your husband—but I can assure you that the only reason why Rebekah hates you so much is because she doesn't understand. She can't possibly fathom why out of all the girls Nik has come across in his past thousand plus years, he fell in love with you of all people. On top of that, she seems to believe that you've strung him along like a lost puppy for months."

"I wasn't trying to lead him on or anything. I thought I was very forthcoming with what I believed to be my feelings for him at the time. Except of course when I realized that I was hopelessly in love with him while Tyler was still around."

"That is exactly what I'm talking about, sweetheart."

"We've talked enough about my love life! What about yours?"

"Would you look at that? My Chemistry class is about to get started soon. Such a shame that we can't finish this conversation. We are just going to have to postpone it, or let it go… until the next ice age."

He stood up from his spot and threw his garbage out in the trash bin beside us, before grabbing his backpack and running away. I stood up and grabbed my backpack as well, chasing after him as fast as I could without drawing too much attention to myself. I didn't get very far though before he turned into one of the many large brick buildings, and disappeared.

"This conversation is _not _over, Mr. Mikaelson!"

- 0-0-0-0-0-

I looked down at my schedule as I walked into the large auditorium. One of my literature classes was supposed to take place in this room. I looked around for a seat close to the front. I found one in the fifth row, right in the middle, between a blonde headed guy and a red headed girl; both looked to be around my age. I excused myself past a few people and squeezed into the seat. My laptop thankfully managed to fit on the small, makeshift desk attached to the chair. I heard my phone 'ding' from my bag, so I bent over to find where I had tossed it on my way here.

"Is this your first year?" the boy beside me suddenly asked once I was sitting upright again. I looked up from my phone and saw dark brown eyes staring back at me, hungrily.

"Yes," I turned back to my phone and continued typing out my reply while doing my best to ignore the fact that I could still see him practically drooling all over his hideous turquoise sweater. "Yours?"

"This is my first year going there, but I've lived around the campus my whole life. My parents are professors," he smirked cockily and looked my sitting form up and down before continuing. "I'd be happy to show you around sometime. Give you a private tour. The name's Noah, by the way." He winked and I was almost certain I was either stuck in a bad movie, or about to throw up. The latter seemed more possible.

I wasn't sure what to say back to him at first. There wasn't really a need to be too rude to this guy. He's not horrible looking, so he might think his cockiness is justified. I'm sure he had no idea that he was being that creepy. I was about to come up with some sort of an excuse, when the professor started introducing herself and setting up her presentation for today's lecture. I was thankful for the distraction and studiously took notes as a way to ignore the drooling boy in the next seat over.

Finally class was over and I managed to exit the building before he could say another word. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Bonnie, letting her know that everything was going great and that I would call her later that night. I walked towards the coffee shop that Kol was telling me about last night; he wanted me to meet him here when class was over. A barista came over to ask if I wanted anything so I ordered a hot chocolate and thanked her thoroughly when she brought it over—with extra whipped cream and sprinkles that looked like fall leaves.

"Hi, is anyone sitting here?" I looked up and saw the bright smile of the girl who was sitting next to me during class. "I was wondering if I could apologise for what happened in class today. I feel like it is a bit my fault."

"Some creep hit on me, it isn't your fault in any way," I assured her, nodding towards the seat so that she could sit down. "If anything it is his fault for thinking he was _that _good looking."

"Noah's my brother," she stated plainly. I could see by the expression on her face that she gives this explanation a lot. "He does stuff like this all the time and doesn't even consider other people's feeling in the matter. You were obviously uncomfortable when he was talking to you, he should have noticed."

"It was really no big deal. He wasn't the first dumb guy to hit on me, and he won't be the last. What did you say your name was again?"

"Oh, my name is Zoe."

-0-0-0-0-0-

Later that night I was lying in bed on my stomach while I talked to Bonnie on the phone. She was telling me about some of the classes she had decided to take at the community college just outside of town. I doodled little shapes and characters on the cover of a notebook while I listened to her speak and laughed at some of the stories she told about things that happened since I've been gone.

"Everyone here really misses you already, Care," Bonnie said in a quiet, sullen tone. "Nothing is the same without you here. The towns even seems a little bit darker."

"It is the rainy season there, Bonnie. I miss you guys a lot too though," I laughed and rolled onto my back, kicking my socked feet up in the air. "This feels like the right place for me though. Everything is a lot different from Mystic Falls, but it feels like the perfect new beginning. Besides, Kol is here with me too, so I'm not completely alone. The girls in my house are really nice too; you'd like them."

"I didn't even know that you and Kol knew each other."

"Um," I realised then that I hadn't fully explained the relationship between Klaus and I, to my friends. "Well, we talked briefly at the ball that one time. He lives just down the street from me too, so it was bound to happen."

"Care, you don't have to lie about this to me, you know. I understand if you and Klaus have been keeping in touch."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to be bothered or anything."

"Anyone can see that he really cares about you, Caroline. Besides, who am I to complain? I brought someone we tried so hard to kill, back to life."

"Have you and Kol gotten the chance to talk about all of that yet?"

"We talked when he was in town to pick up some of his stuff for school. We both decided that it is really more of a conversation to have in person, and when we have more time. I was gone away for most of the summer, so we haven't really gotten the chance."

"You still talk all the time thought right?"

"Everyday."


End file.
